Trip to the Beach! I have to work?
by Coyote Walks
Summary: Naruto and gang get sent to the beach for a mission. Skimpy bathing suits, hot ramen, and hormones abound! Continuation of 'Hinata's Birthday? Scramble'


**Trip to the Beach! I have to work?**

By Coyote

Author's Note: This story is set in the same continuity as my previous one _Hinata's Birthday? Scramble!_ As always, I like reviews and criticism, and if anyone would like me to work on a series or you have a plot bunny that needs a good home, let me know. And thank you to all those who gave me feedback on my first story. This fic is dedicated to you.

**Disclaimer: **"Welcome to fanfiction. Do you have anything to disclaim?" "Uumm, I don't own Naruto?" "Get in line, pal. Anything else?" "Can I disclaim any ability to write?" "Line for that's even longer, buddy. Anymore?" "umm…no?" "Then gettoutta here! NEXT!"

**Prologue**

The Sun was reaching its zenith in the clear cerulean sky, the signs of the passing storm all but removed from anyone's notice. To the young man working under the ascending Sun, this merely added to the heat of which he was so used to. On this lonely expanse of beach, the man-child had labored since the pre-dawn chill. His siblings were busy at other tasks, for this one was his and his alone. Only his abilities and his knowledge could complete the project in time. Looking out across the ocean for a moment, the would-be craftsman thought of the typhoon that had come and devastated the shoreline and all that dwelled there. Normally, he reveled in the chaos of destruction, except on this day he found himself rather enjoying this act of creation. Though he would be loathed to tell of it, the artistry of it all made him smile. For none knew the secrets of sand as he did.

"Gaara! Lunch is ready!" his sister called.

Glancing towards the trees, he saw his only family members left sitting, preparing their midday meal. Aware of the growing hunger in his own belly, Gaara turned to join them.

**Part 1**

The Village of the Hidden Leaf was once again having a quiet day. Many of the older ninja were back from missions abroad. The village elders were relieved, especially after the most recent incident involving Orochimaru's Sound ninja. And due to these factors, the head of the village, Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, could be found in her office on this very quiet day. The strain had been great on the hastily assembled team that had been sent out for Uchiha Sasuke, but thanks to the talents of the medical squads, all the boys would be fine. Physically, anyway. This incident had practically sidelined four teams. And there is the question of what to do about Team Seven. Tsunade sighed inwardly, knowing that they all needed some time off. But did that mean that she had to take this man up on his offer?

"Look, Tsunade, you and I both know that the village could use the money." The man sitting across from her said.

"This better not be research for another one of those books of yours!" the Fifth Hokage retorted. Her baleful gaze did nothing to discourage him though.

"Ok, let me go over it one more time. Just so we don't miss anything." he began, "The typhoon on the south coast recently flattened a resort I invested in, as well as the nearby village. I've already hired help to rebuild, but I still need temporary help running it and attracting customers. After that, all I want is to sell the whole lot and be done with it." Then the white haired man smiled, "And you know, Tsunade-chan, that research is best done when the girls think they're alone!"

The deceptively young looking woman looked as if she was ready to throw him through a wall or three. "Jiraiya!" she snapped.

The Sennin let his smile fade as he looked at his friend. "This is the best option. You want them to recuperate, but not unobserved. And a change of scenery would be good for them." The mountain hermit paused to see if the leader of Konoha had cooled down any. When she nodded, he continued. "I need to get this resort up and running if I am to sell it. I'll pay double the normal amount for the help and I'm even willing to donate most of the profits to the reconstruction."

"'Donate the profits'?" the blond woman repeated. "What's the hurry, anyway?" she asked.

Jiraiya stared at her straight in the eye. "It's cursed." Tsunade immediately move her hand over her mouth to stifle a snicker. "I can see you don't believe me. In five years it's never been open for more than two weeks. Something always happens. Storms, missing nin, sea monsters. I just want to be rid of the place."

She smiled at her friend's predicament. "Fine, you can take them. But I want you there in case anything happens."

Jiraiya appeared to be puzzled. "Well, you know that boys and girls at that age will find a way to-"

"Not that 'something' you pervert! What if the Akatsuki comes back for Naruto? The Sound attack? Or your 'sea monster' kicks sand in your face?" she asked.

The Sennin thought for a second. "Sea monster fin soup?"

The fifth Hokage couldn't help but laugh.

Later on, in a meeting room elsewhere in the main complex, Tsunade was explaining the mission to the four Jounin leading the teams.

"This should be more fun for us girls, anyway" Yuuhi Kurenai quipped after hearing the Hokage's description.

"I could use to get a sun tan too, you know." Hatake Kakashi added.

Sarutobi Asuma glanced at him sideways. "Yeah, ladies love that face mask tan line, Hah ha!"

Interrupting her subordinates, the blond woman stated flatly, "This is a serious job. We have been offered a substantial amount of money to get this beach side getaway up and running."

At this point Maito Gai spoke up. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. Even though Neji and Choji are out of the hospital, the spirits of all are in need of refreshment. The burning flames of youth should not be allowed to be smothered out by eternal sorrow." he said with passion.

Kakashi was looking at his fellow Jounin like he had grown a second head. Again. "As much as they need time to adjust, Naruto and Sakura are not going to want to go."

"They don't have a choice." Tsunade countered with. "Everyone is going and I want to see you all back in several weeks with improved morale."

**Part 2**

The next morning a rather large motley group departed from the south gate of Konoha. The orders had been to travel discreetly and dress casual. Apparently, to most Leaf ninja, this meant putting their forehead protector in a different place. Except Kakashi. For some reason he still had his forehead protector on his head, his mask on his face, but he was wearing a trench coat and a fedora.

After walking for twenty minutes, Naruto started blinking and was beginning to wake up. He looked over at his team leader and tilted his head. "Hey, Inspector Kakashi. What's with the getup?" he yelled, a little to loud for the early hour.

Kakashi gazed at his young charge from underneath the old hat. "I'm being discreet. So no passersby think that I am a ninja."

Normally, it does take long for Sakura to get peeved, and this morning was no exception. "You're not being discreet. Discreet would be like traveling undetected in small groups."

Kakashi was smiling even though none could see. "Ah, but Hokage-sama also told us to be 'casual'." He countered.

"Casual? You call looking like a crime boss, casual? We'll get attacked because you look so suspicious." Sakura responded.

Asuma, watching the exchange, could only shake his head. "Shikamaru," he asked, "what are the chances we'll get attacked?"

His student drew his eyes away form the heavens. Looking around at the unruly group around him, the Laziest Chuunin Alive™ calculated the odds. "Since we look like we're on a vacation, pretty good. But I would say it will be bandits or weak missing nin. Troublesome, but not too much to handle." He tilted his head back and returned to enjoying the day.

Ino looked irritated, but Asuma knew it was a cover for the relief she felt at having her teammates back. Choji, as always, was eating. Determined as he was to regaining his lost mass, the Jounin hoped he wouldn't heave all the junk food back up while trying to bulk up.

Seeing the look on his fellow Jounin's face, Gai stepped over to speak with him. "Don't worry, this mission will allow them to rejuvenate their spirits and cement the bonds of friendship." He stated quietly while still giving his nice guy look.

"You're not concerned?" Asuma wanted to know.

"The only one who should be concerned is Kakashi." he replied, glancing back cautiously. "Neji will recover, Rock Lee already has, and Tenten is somewhere between being mad she didn't go and relief that Neji is recovering. She's not too happy that that Sand girl, Temari, was involved. Choji and Shikamaru seem better."

The usually more serious ninja smiled. "They are. It's funny you mention the Sand girl. Between her and the Fifth Hokage he seems to have regained some of his drive. Ino is doing better than I thought she would. It seems her teammates are more important than Sasuke."

A ways behind the speaking men at the head of the column, Kurenai drifted towards the back to have a word with Kakashi.

"Hmmm?" He looked up from the book he seemed to always be reading.

"I just wanted to see how you're doing 'Boss Hatake'." she responded, trying to suppress a smile at his getup.

His mask gave the impression of a smirk. "Naruto and Sakura seem positive about getting their friend back and that seems better than worrying about a situation we can't change right now. But what about you? Kiba seems better than I heard he was."

The female Jounin nodded. "He is, but I would prefer that he rest up some more. Shino didn't go, so he will make up for any loss in fighting ability while Kiba and Akamaru recover. Still, he's a bit put out about not going to help his friends."

Speaking more quietly this time, Kakashi reacted to her ruminations. "You know it's a miracle that none of them died."

She agreed. "Yes. I've very glad that Kiba and Naruto are OK."

His eyebrow rose immediately. "Naruto? Those rumors I heard are true, then?"

"That depends on what you heard." She answered impersonally. "Hinata was quite worried about him. It still amazes me how she comes out of her shell nowadays when they are together." Kurenai continued, gesturing ahead to Naruto and Hinata chatting.

"I hope he has a talk with her, then." The Copy ninja said.

She looked at him quizzically. Kakashi answered her unasked question. "He's to be leaving on a training trip, and I'm not sure when he'll be back. It may be a couple years."

Sakura was staring ahead watching Naruto speaking with Hinata. She saw how they would glance at each other and smile, and she suddenly felt very lonely. _No, no, no! You are not to feel sorry for yourself_, her Inner Sakura shouted.

"Umm... Sakura-san?" she heard.

Looking to the right of her she answered, "Oh! Rock Lee. Just Sakura is fine. How are you?"

"Much better now thanks to the Fifth Hokage. Her medical skills are truly legendary." He replied; give his nice guy smile and trying not to blush at her acknowledgement.

"Have you heard?" she said, smiling back at him. "Tsunade-sama is going to train me!"

"Oh, you'll be great!" the martial arts master responded. Sakura looked at him seriously and raised her finger. "You better not get yourself hurt again like last time. I don't want to see you like that again!"

Rock Lee was shocked; his only reaction was "Yes Ma'am." Sakura smiled again and giggled.

As for the rest of the group, they were either speaking with each other quietly or sleepwalking on to their seaside destination. The Sun was getting higher in the clear sky as they walked. The day promised to be calm and serene. Well, at least until lunch anyway.

**Part 3**

According to what Kakashi had told the rest of them, they weren't going to make it to their destination until later that night. And since they were trying to be 'casual', a stop at a teahouse along the way was in order. This roadhouse looked rather plain from the outside, its brown weathered wood sides inviting to the average traveler. It was the sort of place any average person on a journey could afford to sit a spell and enjoy a nice lunch. It came as no surprise when the Konoha beach combing club walked in and found the interior to be just as plain as the initial impression of the exterior. It bore only decorations inside that could only be described as 'inoffensive'. The polished oak tables and benches seemed sturdy and difficult to move. An establishment that wanted business and not trouble.

Which would have been great if not for the surly looking bunch sitting near the back beyond the other patrons.

"Tea and sandwiches, please." The trench coat ninja requested when the serving girl came by.

Shikamaru had stolen a glace at the back as they all sat down. _Well, time to try that Naruto impression_ he thought. "Hey, Boss Kakashi! When are we gonna get there?"

He looked at the younger ninja and raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you in a hurry to work?"

Asuma at once understood his student's odd behavior. He looked around discreetly and noticed the trio at the far end of the building.

"As soon as we get the job done, I plan to find some bikini clad companionship" the lazy chuunin said, with a leer.

Ino and Sakura uttered "Eh?" at the same moment, a look of agitation on their faces. Even Kurenai, who had an idea of what he was doing, was getting annoyed at Shikamaru's behavior. Ino was the first to say something though. "We're supposed to be working, not chasing bimbos at the beach!"

"Well, maybe I just want someone more attractive to look at." He countered, thinking to himself; _Damn women are troublesome. Doesn't she know what I'm doing?_

But his last comment really pushed her buttons. "Are you saying I'm not good looking!" Ino yelled with her shark toothed, scary face.

Tenten shook her head in dismay. "They've done a fine job of giving away our destination." She whispered to Neji, who was sitting next to her. "Better to draw them out, then fight on their terms." He rejoined. "Keep looking at me and pretend we're talking."

It was then that the kunoichi of many weapons noticed her partner's veins were pulsing around the eyes. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking through her using the Byakugan of the Hyuuga Clan. Naruto and Choji sitting nearby were forced to listen to Ino and Shikamaru's verbal sparring. They did the only thing a man could do when women were getting upset in such a way. Food was stuffed in their respective mouths so that said mouths wouldn't get further involved and get them in trouble with the girls.

Hinata began her trademarked habit of looking down and playing with her fingers. _I wonder if Naruto-kun will like my swimsuit, _the thought making her blush. She raised her head when she noticed a hand on her thigh. She looked up at Naruto, wondering what was happening. His eyes quickly looked at her then moved towards the back of the eating establishment. Of the three men they had all noticed earlier, one of them stood up, made a show of putting some bills on the table and proceeded towards the door. Hinata noticed that Naruto had gone back to eating, so she looked again. Instead of thinking of Naruto and being embarrassed at her thoughts, she made seals with her hands inconspicuously.

The man who looked like he hadn't met a razor in week or two, walked by the rowdy group. He tried to not look at the rich man obviously in charge of these kids. He figured with all the commotion the arguing couple was doing, no one would notice him passing by and leaving. He didn't seem to take notice of the girl with short, dark hair who gave the impression of looking at the teenager in orange next to her. No one was able to discern that she wasn't looking at her companion, but towards the wall next to the exit. Nor did anyone see the six fingers she pressed into the leg of that blond boy.

Naruto was beginning to get bored with all of this. "Boss Kakashi, can we get going? We don't want to be too late." He uttered sarcastically. He emphasized this by tapping his fingers on the table. Six times.

All four of the Jounin nodded their heads at that. "I suppose we should." The faux mob boss answered. Motioning to the serving girl, he paid for the meal and they all quickly left.

As they left the teahouse, an empty and open road greeted them. As soon as they were out of sight of the rest stop, Gai looked at the rest of them. "The least we could do is make sure they don't bother anyone else, right?"

As if on cue, six masked figures appeared from the brush behind him. Two others ran up on the road from the direction they just left. All of these brigands had their weapons drawn and smiles of avarice plastered on each one of their faces.

_(Author's note: Self- insertion time! Look, my over powered self-insert is the third one on the… What? I'm down already? Wait a second, I was taken out by… Oh, this is just embarrassing. Ok, you can stop kicking now. That's it…I've had it with this self-insertion nonsense:Ahem: Let's skip ahead, shall we?)_

**Part 4**

Day had fallen into night some two hours past, and the Konoha bandit-bashing band finally had come close to the coast. It had been a long day, but they were nearing their objective. "I still can't believe how weak they were." Choji managed to say between two mouthfuls of food.

Tenten snickered. "Yeah, they had to be the worst bandits ever."

Asuma looked back at them. "We'll be there soon. Be prepared to work, just in case."

As the wind shifted a bit, the smell of ocean became even more pronounced. The road led to an even wider path along the shore and the tree line. The sounds of waves crashing in the distance could be heard. The pale, pure light from the waxing gibbous Moon revealed a tranquil beach. It's fine, white sand reflected the moonlight so well, no torches or lamps were needed for anyone to find the way. The lunar light also exposed a structure at the end of this pathway that blended it well with the white sand.

As the teams of ninja got closer, they could make out the building a bit better. It bore four raised columns at each corner and appeared to be three stories tall. The turrets themselves went a level higher and upon each one was a small triangular flag fluttering in the breeze. The walls of this keep were molded to give the impression of great white bricks. This went well with wooden door that looked as if they carved from driftwood. A sign next to those doors proudly announced _Welcome to the Sand Castle_.

Once they had made their way up to the door, Gai raise a large fist and pounded on the door four times. Tenten looked at her mentor. "If anyone's in there they'll hear that. They'd be dead not to."

Each Leaf ninja waited quietly as they all stared at the doors, waiting for someone to come. Of them, a few wondered if they were in the right place, while others hoped this wasn't the beginning of a warped and ghastly ghost story. The door began to open slowly inward and a voice from behind the door spoke softly. "Please come in."

The inside of the Sand Castle was also as white as the outside. The wide foyer was well lit and big enough for all those that had just traveled from Konoha. "Greetings.", said the lanky dark haired man standing next to the now closed door. After the ninjas all turned to look at him, he continued. "This is the hotel Sand Castle. My name is Mr. Kim. Since the hour is so late I have prepared rooms for you. After breakfast tomorrow, I will explain in further detail the duties required of each of you." He looked around at each one of the ninjas in front of him and smiled. "This way, please. I will show you to your rooms." And with that, he turned around, stepping lightly down the hallway.

Halfway down the corridor, a figure stepped around the corner. The soft hallway light revealed a female figure with her arms above her head, in the middle of a yawn. The lamplight illuminated her accentuated assets, clad as she was only in an oversized blue t-shirt. Stopping at her mid thigh, the shirt was the only thing she seemed to be wearing. The t-shirt read "_I Like Me_"in dark blue letters. Walking forward slowly, she brought her arms down and opened her eyes. Her blond hair tied into four bunches was unmistakable. The right side of her mouth went up in a half smile. "And here I thought I'd have the room to myself for a few more days." she seemingly said to everyone, but her gaze was locked onto Shikamaru.

"Ah, Miss Temari," Mr. Kim responded, unperturbed by her appearance, "could you show these ladies to your room?"

"Yes." She answered, but her eyes were still locked on the chuunin from Konoha.

Shikamaru had finally decided to speak. "It figures you would be here. This is your brother's doing." He tapped his knuckles against the sand that made up the rock hard wall.

Temari just smiled. Then she looked at the rest of them. "C'mon, girls. We shouldn't give the boys too much of an eyeful before tomorrow." And with that she led them down the hallway she had just come from.

"Your room is this way with the other two helpers that were hired." Mr. Kim said, walking straight ahead. He led them down to the last door on the left. Sliding the door open he addressed them all again. "There should be adequate bedding, but please let me know if you need anymore. Since you have all had a long journey, we will be meeting tomorrow morning in the main sitting area." Naruto closed his eye and thought about this for a second. "Umm… Mr. Kim? What about the girls?" The taller man looked at the blond who was speaking and smiled. "Miss Temari already knows when we are meeting. I'm sure she'll tell the other young ladies." And with that he turned around and left.

This left the men from Konoha with one inescapable conclusion. Gaara of the Sand and his brother Kankurou, the puppet master, were in that room waiting for them. "Hey, you gonna leave the door open like that?" It was Kankurou in his normal obnoxious way.

They all made their way into the rather spacious room. Two futons were laid out on the tatami mat floor with the boys from the Hidden Village of Sand on them. Kakashi shook his head. "This is going to be a long night."

Meanwhile, in the room for the women, Temari was showing them were everything was. "And here I was thinking I'd get this big room all to myself. Did I mention there is only one bathroom, for all six of us?"

Kurenai was beginning to tire of this. "Yes. Twice already." She said looking at the complaining blond.

Ino also had a bone to pick, it seemed. "So what are you doing walking around like that?"

Temari seemed to be amused at this. "What, my shirt? You know, you'll never get a boyfriend if you're shy about your body."

"Umm, maybe we should get some sleep?" Hinata offered, finally deciding to speak up. All of the female nodded in assent. And then the Sand Castle was quiet. For one night at least.

**Part 5**

Morning had come once again to the place of many seaside resorts. As it often was with places facing impending doom, the weather was fairly pleasant. It promised to be a warm day with a few clouds to provide shade, if need be. The fishing was even going to be good that day for the fishermen that weren't busy boarding up their houses in anticipation of the terror this sublime day portended. Mr. Kim sighed as he looked out the window. He really hoped that the guests that were scheduled to come this day would not talk to anyone until they get here. _At least the owner was able to get help that's not from around here. And if these 'hellions', as he calls them, are able to deal with the villagers 'curse', even better._

The gathered ninjas ate as they sat down in the common area near the front desk. Pastries and juice had been left for all of them, but Kiba was still grumbling about Akamaru not getting his jelly doughnut. Mr. Kim looked at his pocket watch and noted that they were all ready and on time. He coughed once to get their collective attention and addressed them. "As you may know this is a new establishment created with the skills of young master Gaara. But thanks in part to the areas reputation; it is very difficult to get good workers. So until we can regular help, all of you will be helping run the business."

Looking over papers he held on a clipboard, he continued. "For some of you, I will need you in certain positions for the duration of your stay. Shikamaru and Neji will be our lifeguards. Choji will be in charge of the kitchen." Choji's smile widened hearing Mr. Kim say this. "And Naruto I will need to run the stand closer to the beach. I hear you are an expert on ramen. Here is your chance to prove your ramen making skills." This comment for the manager elicited a 'heh heh' from Naruto.

Raising her hand, Hinata had an idea. "Ah… Naruto-kun will need help down there. When its busy…" she trailed off and began to play with her fingers.

"Are you volunteering? Good, I wasn't sure who else would want to work there", he answered. Hinata smiled as she looked at Naruto. Now it was his turn to blush.

Asuma had a question of his own. "Will Choji need help as well in the kitchen?"

The polite manager straightened himself. "I am something of an amateur chef myself, so I will be there as well. But I will need Rock Lee to work the front counter and act as a bellhop when needed. For the time being, the rest of you will be playing the part of guests that have arrived already. I have arranged with a woman named Saiyuri from Konoha to open a swim and beachwear shop. She has asked that all the ladies stop by and pick up:ahem: 'sexy bathing suits'. Are there any questions?"

And of course Naruto was the first one with a question. "Yeah, why'd you call this place _Sand_ Castle?"

"Because we were here first, shrimp." Kankurou said sarcastically.

Mr. Kim's smile faded a bit. "Well, the old building was called _White Castle_, but it was shut down due to too many people contracting dysentery from the food. After that a name change seemed in order."

Everyone was feeling a little too sick too ask any more questions after that.

**Part 6**

The rest of the day had passed uneventfully. Everyone was getting familiar with their duties that they would be expected to fill. For Naruto this meant going over every single item in the shack on the beach. In the grand tradition of beach side ramen houses, it was constructed in equal parts of old wood that had bleached in the sun and tin sheets. Ingredients, cookware, and other various supplies were triple checked. Once he new what he had, he knew what he needed to get from the main kitchen.

On his way to greater ramen excellence, Naruto said hello to Shikamaru, who was lifeguarding at the hotel's pool. Yes, the seaside hotel had a pool. Its cool water was a nice contrast with the warmth of the southern ocean. But since Gaara had constructed it out of the sand from this very beach, trees and a low wooden fence were placed around it so no one would walk into the pool by accident. Like Mr. Kim had the day it was finished. Afterwards, he had the sand ninja color the sand in and around the pool to make it look like a more normal construction.

Shikamaru, who was sitting on a raised chair above said pool, didn't care about any of it. Since no real guests had shown up yet and no one was at the artificial watering hole, all he wanted to do was to stare at the clouds.

Once inside the resort, Naruto went straight for the kitchen. He was stopped, however, on his way by Temari. "Have you seen that lazy Chuunin?"

Naruto tilted his head to one side, trying to think of whom she was referring. "If you mean Shikamaru, he's at the pool." He rattled off, and then took off for the kitchen.

In his haste, he didn't see her devious smile or hear her say, "Perfect." It seemed that the show stopping ninja also failed to notice what she was wearing. A two-piece bathing suit wasn't unusual for a resort on the beach, but this scarlet ensemble appeared to be something one wanted to be seen in, not swim in. The top was really a push up bra, and the bottom, well, didn't do a good job of covering up, but did a great job of showing off her legs.

As she walked outside, Temari saw her prey sitting in a lifeguard chair looking not at the empty pool, but at the sky. She made a show once again of yawning with her arms stretched over her head. This of course had the effect of adding more curve to her backside and thrusting out her breasts. But the blond found when she opened her eyes that Shikamaru hadn't seemingly noticed and was still cloud watching. He just sat there in his unbuttoned beach shirt and shorts looking up like he hadn't seen her. _Oh, you're not going to get away by pretending to ignore me!_ She thought while glaring at him. Walking over to the pool chair next to his seat Temari decided to make her presence known. "Wow, it's a really nice day out, huh Shikamaru? Think I should get a tan?"

He was now forced to acknowledge her. "Yeah, do whatever you want." As she dropped her towel on the chair, the lazy genius got an excellent look at this Sand girl's backside. _Carrying that fan around must be why she has such nice… posture._

She could feel his eyes on her. "If I'm in danger, you'll save me, right?" she asked playfully, smiling to herself.

The Chuunin looked to the heavens once more. "Women are so troublesome…"

Entering into the kitchen, Naruto found Mr. Kim and Choji in the middle of an argument. He could hear them from outside in the dining area extolling beef verses chicken. Stopping when the energetic ninja came in, the manager turn his way and smiled. "Ahh, Naruto! Are things going well at the ramen stand?"

Naruto smiled towards the nice man. "Yeah, I just needed to get some supplies before Hinata comes to help me open."

"Hey Naruto, can you settle something for us?" Choji asked him, smiling as well.

"Sure, I guess." came the muffled reply, as he balanced a load of bowls he meant to take with him. "Chicken or beef?"

Naruto thought about this for a moment. _Am I wearing a nametag that says information or something? _"Whatever kind of ramen you want, I'll make it. Uhhh, why are you banging your head or the table?"

Departing from the strange scene in the kitchen, Naruto headed for the front entrance, his arms carrying boxes full of bowls, chopsticks, and other less identifiable items. Up ahead of him, Gai was giving Rock Lee a lecture on how to help customers of the hotel. "…And always offer to carry luggage for the guests, no matter how big." Seeing Kakashi's student coming down the hallway, Gai suddenly broke out the nice guy smile. "Lee! This is the perfect chance to practice. Naruto, you don't mind if Rock Lee helps you with that do you?"

Poking his head around the tower he was carrying, he told them, "No, I don't mind." The younger fuzzy eyebrows took the top two boxes from him and held them one handed like a waiter. Able to see in front of himself now, Naruto looked at Lee. "Showoff."

The green clad ninja responded by giving the nice guy smile. All the blond could do was laugh. Gai smiled as he looked at the two Genin. "I will keep watch upon the front desk for you, but you must bring back spicy ramen for lunch."

"Yes, Gai-sensei." his student replied as he walked out the front door with the fox boy.

**Part 7**

Across from the dining area, Hinata looked out from a window in the beach wear shop. She watched Naruto leave with some boxes. "You ok?" she heard form behind her.

It was her sensei, Kurenai, who was at this moment holding up two string bikinis and comparing them.

Looking at her teacher she smiled. "Naruto-kun is already starting. I should go too."

The older woman understood her student's eagerness. "Then find a swimsuit you like. Its not often you get one for free." Hinata nodded and started looking through the racks again.

The curtain for the changing room slid open and Tenten stepped out in a lot less on than she went in with. The green two-piece was strapless which didn't pose a problem for her cup size. The bottom hugged her hips and did a very good job of showing off her flat, well toned stomach. "Hey Hinata!" she called out, "Think Neji will like this?"

The short haired girl turned and looked at her cousin's teammate. "Umm.. Yes it looks very nice."

The smile on the pig tailed girl widened. "Thanks!" She then grabbed a wraparound and went to the mirror.

Seeing Sakura next to her looking at some bikinis, Tenten decided to have a little fun. "You could wear a brown paper bag and Rock Lee will say your good looking."

The cheeks of the pink haired girl suddenly turned red. "Who says I'm shopping for what he likes? Why can't it be some other boy?" she retorted hotly.

"Aha, so you were thinking about Lee. He'll be so happy to hear it."

Sakura got an evil gleam in her eye all of a sudden. "Oh no your not! Not unless you want me telling what you said about 'Neji-sama' in your sleep." She emphasized Neji's name, using a breathy voice.

"You wouldn't dare!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Then you won't say anything to Rock Lee" Sakura smirked.

"B-but…" The longer haired girl stammered, looking around to the other women there. Hinata was already out the door and Kurenai had disappeared as well.

Ino just shook her head and said "Don't look at me, I didn't hear a thing."

Sighing Tenten admitted defeat. "Fine, but you keep quiet too." And with that she departed for her room, to see how many weapons she could hide in her new outfit.

Ino walked over by Sakura after she'd left. Looking a little eager, she wanted in on the dirt. "So what did she say last night? I didn't hear anyone talking in their sleep."

The future medic ninja couldn't help it anymore and she broke out into a fit of giggles. "She didn't say anything, no one did. I made it up!" she was able to get out between giggles. Ino had to laugh at this, too.

Sakura had finally settled on a two-piece that matched the color of her hair. Looking over at her friend she noticed that Ino wasn't looking at swimsuits anymore. She was in the area marked 'intimates'. "Ino, what are you looking for over there?"

The blond looked up from the racks, determination written all over her face. "I just realized that hussy Temari isn't here with us. So that means she already got her suit and I bet she's already showing it off to Shikamaru."

The red clad ninja seemed a bit confused. "Huh? I did know there was anything between you two."

"There's not. But I'm not just going to stand by and let her toy with my teammate. And you saw the way she was acting last night." She responded while examining a lacy push-up bra.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "So you'd do this for Choji too?" "Huh? Sure." Ino answered distractedly.

_Yeah, right,_ her Inner Sakura thought.

**Part 8**

Getting closer to lunch, Naruto though he'd make lunch for himself and Lee in addition to Gai's order. On the way back to the ramen shack they passed by Shino, who seemed to be having a conversation with a white insect on his finger. Kiba was with him playing with Akamaru. Seeing that Rock Lee had more boxes, the small white dog decided to jump onto the box Naruto was carrying. "Hey, what gives?"

"You look like your slacking off." Kiba pronounced as he walked up to the box laden lads. The canine looked at his partner and yipped. "See?" he said with a sneer.

"Well come on if you want lunch." Was all Naruto could say.

Getting back to the stand, the ramen chef ninja quickly got to work putting everything away. From the back he yelled, "Give me a few minutes and I'll get some food ready. What do ya guys want?"

"Gai-sensei said he wanted something spicy, remember?" Rock Lee reminded him. Akamaru, sitting on a stool between Kiba and Lee, yipped twice.

"Spicy beef sounds good to us." his tattooed friend hollered towards the back.

Naruto walked out and came right up to the counter. His usual orange jacket was gone replaced by a blue and white happi coat over his mesh shirt. With the sleeves tied back, he looked every part the 'shop owner'. Getting immediately to work, he had an order for two ready in no time.

"Oh, you're really getting into this!" Fuzzy eyebrows exclaimed.

The now white and blue clad ninja smiled and handed him a delivery box with two bowls of hot, spicy beef ramen in it. "Yeah, it's a lot of fun. Better hurry up before it gets cold." And with that he waved at Rock Lee as he took off to deliver his and Gai's lunch.

Kiba sighed now that they were alone and he could have a chat with Naruto. "Naruto, we need to have a man to man talk."

The blond chef hefted two extra size bowls over the counter and placed them in front of the straightforward ninja and his dog. "Yeah, sorry about that, but his was a take out order."

Akamaru ignored both of them and leapt up onto the counter. Taking a pair of chopsticks, Kiba began to eat. "That's. not. what. I. meant." Hinata's teammate said between bites.

"You wanted to take the food back to the hotel?" the fox faced boy asked.

Kiba looked up at him. "Why would I want to do that?"

Whisker face continued to misunderstand. "Then is something wrong with the food?"

"No, this ramen is really good, but what I wan…" he was saying, until a loud slurp interrupted him. Naruto and Kiba both turned and looked at Akamaru. The canine in question was attempting to double his body weight through ramen inhalation.

"Your dog's been hanging around Choji again. What were we talking about?" Naruto asked trying to get back to what was bothering Kiba.

"Hinata"

"Hinata-Chan?" the fox boy repeated.

"Yes?" came a soft feminine voice behind them. "Were you talking about me?"

Kiba craned his neck around while Naruto turned around saw Hinata standing there smiling. In addition to her beautiful smile, she also wore a happi coat like Naruto did, but with out the mesh shirt underneath. Just then a very loud belch was heard from the front counter. All eyes turn again on Akamaru who was just sitting there next to an empty bowl. Hinata started giggling which got the other two laughing along with her. Kiba stood up and pronounced in his usual obnoxious tone, "Come on Akamaru, we told Shino we'd help look for bugs. See you guys later." He waved as he walked out from underneath the stand.

"What was that about?" the white eyed girl asked.

"Beats me." Her blond cohort answered. "I've gotten so many weird questions today I think someone wrote 'information' on my forehead!" he said, jabbing his thumb towards his forehead protector to emphasize his point. Hinata giggled once more.

**Interlude**

The white haired Sennin walked alone in the moonlight. As there was no one around, he reflected upon the recent past and the duties he now faced. _Naruto is so much like Yondaime_ he thought. He felt a certain amount of pride that his student had become the Fourth Hokage. And now he had to make sure that Yondaime's promise for the future survived long enough to become the hero he had wanted Naruto to be. Veering away from more dark thoughts, the tall man spent the rest of his time thinking on his new book.

Before long though, he felt the presence that told how close he was to the resort.

"You're Jiraiya." It wasn't a question. Stepping out from the foliage, there stood a young man with a giant gourd strapped across his back. He looked at the older man with murderous intent.

Jiraiya looked at the boy before him and smirked. "Tomorrow is another day. Shouldn't you rest up for it?"

Garra scowled at him. "I've heard of you. I think you showed Naruto how to call _that _frog."

The only response that came from the pervert hermit was "Heh." In a flash, the Sand ninja launched himself towards the white haired fellow. A second later he found himself flying backwards and crashing into the trees. Jiraiya called out to the prone lad, "If you need practice, try Naruto, your almost up to his level." He then walked off towards the hotel he had Gaara build, and the warm bed waiting for him.

**Part 9**

The next morning was as clear and beautiful as the last morning. But this morning was busy with activity. Real guests started arriving that day and everyone had to be in their roles to make everything go smoothly. For all the girls this was the easiest job they've had in a while. Just lying around and enjoying the resort to make the place look like fun wasn't too hard. The boys had it a bit harder. Kiba somehow became the hotel's pet care expert while the others who weren't given a job were to be prepared for an inevitable catastrophe. For Kakashi, this meant finding a good spot at the pool and reading. Asuma and Neji just wandered around and acted like they were looking for something to do. Mr. Kim didn't have a problem with this, he just asked that they didn't have the appearance of being bored while they patrolled.

Poor Rock Lee perhaps had it the worst. Now that Choji and Mr. Kim had worked out their culinary differences, the manager had turned his attention to his main work. And this day was the one were a good number of guest would be showing up. Rock Lee assured the unassuming man that he was up to any task he had in store. This meant he was a very busy bellhop this morning. All and all, it would have been fine except that when Lee was carrying luggage for an entire family of five, Sakura walked around the corner on her way to the pool. She caught his attention wearing her new pink swimsuit and she waved to him, smiling. This caused the Taijutsu master to miss a step and he fell backwards dropping all of the suitcases. Not to miss out on any of the fun, the suit cases fell down the steps as well. Too bad Rock Lee wasn't ready to catch them.

As Sakura stepped out of the building, her thoughts about Rock Lee were completely derailed when she saw Naruto on the lifeguard stand and ten or twenty blond girls lying around the pool. This wouldn't have been odd if not that all of these girls were identical. From the orange swimsuits they wore, the long pigtails, and even the whisker marks on all of their faces, they were the same. She looked towards the Naruto sitting in the lifeguard chair, eyeing him suspiciously. "Ok, what's going on?" she demanded to know.

The girl sitting closest to her sat up and smiled. "Shikamaru had something he needed to, so he asked me to fill in for a while." She said cutely.

Sakura groaned. She should have known. "Fine but can I have a chair?"

"Sure, take mine." And with a _pop_, the Sexy shadow clone was gone, leaving one chair open for his teammate.

A few minutes later, Shikamaru showed up and Kakashi came out right behind him. Looking at the nearest blond girl, He nodded and smiled. "Everything thing going well I take it?" the lazy ninja asked looking around to all the identical girls.

The Naruto on the chair leapt down and began to walk towards the beach. "Yeah, but I need to get going." The same attractive girl he was talking with answered. "Y'know, I tried to make it look like fun here, but nobody showed up till just now." She continued, pouting cutely.

Leaning in, Kakashi decided to add in to the conversation. "Naruto? Have you gained weight lately?" Sakura bolted upright when she heard this, fire burning in her eyes. Almost immediately, she heard a loud _SLAP_ followed by a series of _pops_ as the Sexy shadows disappeared in quick succession. Kakashi was left standing there with a petite handprint on his face. Looking at her, he wanted to know, "What did I do?" Sakura just laid back down and ignored him for the rest of the day.

**Part 10**

Naruto would have been back to his assignment sooner, but Kiba and Neji waylaid him in turn. It started when he had just left the poolside, trying to think of more pleasant things. Hinata and ramen were waiting for him and already on his mind. Akakmaru did a really good job of derailing that train of thought, when he bit right down on the ankle.

"Hey, what you do that for?" the injured blond hollered.

Kiba walked up to the little white dog and patted him on the head. "We still haven't had that talk yet."

Naruto tilted his head with his eye almost closed pondering. _What does this jerk want? Having his puppy bite me… oh yeah! He said something about Hinata._ "So what about her?" he said at last.

The Inuzuka prodigy smiled. "So you remember. Good. That'll make this quick."

"Hey, Naruto!" Both Kiba and the Sexy no Jutsu master turned to see who was yelling. It was Hyuuga Neji, wearing only flip-flops, grey swim trunks, and his usual forehead protector. His normally aloof attitude was annoying enough, but his attire was getting a lot of looks from the girls on the beach. There was even a few 'Hey, handsome!' called out. He walked up and looked at the temp ramen chef. "We need to talk."

Fang face had other ideas, though. "Get in line, I'm trying to have a discussion here."

Naruto thought for a moment. "What do you want Neji?" Naruto asked, disregarding Kiba's protest.

"I heard you went out on a date with my cousin, Hinata-sama." was the cool reply. "That's what I want talk to him about!" the dog ninja said.

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of any of this. "It's really not that big of a deal." He offered.

Kiba pounced on that right away. "Big deal? It's a big deal alright if you think I'm going to let you get away with it."

Neji continued as if he'd never been interrupted. "Naruto, I'll a say only this: If Hinata-sama is happy then there's no problem, but if you hurt her I'll have to kill you."

The dog ninja's jaw hit the floor. "What? You're going to let him date her?"

The Hyuuga genius looked sideways at Kiba. "It is a better idea to speak with him about this now to let him know where he stands. It beats wasting my time warning off fools who have no chance. Like you."

The blond realized that if he didn't get going he would be later. "Uhh… sure, no problem. I gotta go, ok?" Walking off, Naruto wasn't a hundred percent sure either one of them heard him.

Even without his rival around, Kiba wasn't going to let that one go. "So what makes him better, huh?"

Neji smiled at the younger ninja. "Have you forgotten that he beat you in the Chuunin exams?"

A bit flushed, he barked back immediately. "He beat you too!" "Yes, and after I went too far in the fight against Hinata-sama, I had it coming." The white-eyed bad boy admitted.

This confession stopped Kiba for a moment. He then noticed that Akamaru was not around. "Fine, I'll let it go. I have to find Aka…" he began to say, but stopped when he saw Neji pointing past him.

Akamaru was running towards him at full tilt. He noticed the colored streamers in his dog's mouth before he saw the gaggle of girls chasing the puppy. Realizing what the furball had done, Kiba just groaned. Neji chuckled before making the comment, "Your dog's a perv."

The pervert dog dropped all the bikini tops he had stolen when he reached them. His little tail was wagging so fast, he could have lifted into the air. Kiba immediately scooped up Akamaru and ran like his life depended on in. A few of the young women stopped to pick up their tops, including Tenten, but most opted to run right past so they could play 'pound the pervert'.

Neji's teammate smiled to him as she bent down to retrieve half of her outfit. "Thanks for getting this back for me." She whispered to him and kissed him on the cheek.

Unfortunatly for Tenten, all the other girls present wanted to show their appreciation as well.

**Part 11**

As far as the hotel went, Mr. Kim was in a very good mood. More guest were arriving everyday, no great calamities had befallen them, and thank to the ninjas that the owner hired, he had had enough time to finish the interviews for the full time position the ninjas were now filling in. It was a very go.., no, a splendid day for him and the hotel. He was in such a generous mood that he gave Kankurou and Rock Lee the rest of the day off.

He would have given Choji time off, but the lad was too handy in the kitchen and his 'Choji size' portions were quickly on their way to being a permanent part of the menu.

Rock Lee decided to try and find Sakura if he could. Seeing Kankurou go out the door to the pool, he would try there first. Once he got outside he then had to look over all the gorgeous women that were sunbathing around the pool. He found the wondrous cherry blossom next to Ino, chatting. Oddly enough, Ino was right next to the lifeguard stand that held Shikamaru. On the other side of the elevated seat, Temari and Kankurou were having a conversation. Walking up to the two Leaf beauties, Lee smiled when they looked up and saw him. Sakura smiled back and tossed a small bottle to him. Lying down, she asked, "Could you get my back?"

Now this was a dream come true for the one-man Sakura fan club. Gulping hard, Rock Lee began to remove the omnipresent bandages from his hands. With his calloused hands reveled, he splashed some oil into his right hand and reached for her back.

"Mmmm…." was the only sound that came from Sakura.

"I'm sorry my hands are so rough on delicate skin." he apologized, as he rubbed more oil onto his goddess' back.

"Mmmm, your hands are fine. You should do this more often, Lee." She smiled even though he couldn't see her. Moving her arms behind her, the pink-haired girl undid the clasp on her top. "Keep going." was her encouragement. He could only nod his head as he saw the pristine expanse of her back, now completely exposed.

"Haha hah! Look at him squirm!" came from the other side of the lifeguard chair. Kankurou was pointing at Rock Lee while he laughed. "And all over an ugly, big forehead-girl like her."

Rock Lee went into a fighting posture, his bandages wrapped around his arms again almost at once. "You shall not speak in such a way about Sakura-chan." He growled menacingly.

Both Ino and Temari sat up at this point. The black shrouded puppet master replied before his sister could, shrugging his shoulders. "We're not supposed to fight, remember?"

The hard working genius did not look at all ready to back down. Motioning his head to the sandy area behind Shikamaru, he had an answer. "We'll settle it there."

Kankurou laughed again. "Ok, but you'll need a partner."

Looking down again, Rock Lee offered his hand to Sakura. "Will you help me defend your honor in a game of volleyball?" Inner Sakura was screaming _Hell yeah!_, but outwardly she just nodded demurely .

On the Sandy court there were now two Kankurous ready to play Lee and Sakura. With the first serve, the Taijutsu marvel jumped fifteen feet in the air to spike the ball. It came down with such force it knocked the head clean off of the forward Kankurou.

"Damnit, you broke Scarecrow!" he swore.

Like everyone else at this point, Temari was watching with much amusement. Seeing her opportunity, she strode out on to the court. "I'll be on your team brother." Looking over her shoulder, she fixed her eyes on the lifeguard. "You'll watch me play, won't you Shikamaru?"

Ino was also watching this along with everyone else, but unlike the people around her, she was getting really pissed. Seeing Temari bounce and giggle like that in front of _her _teammate was irritating her. _That's it! This requires drastic measures._ she thought. Walking off towards Saiyuri's shop, it was time for Yamanaka Ino to get her secret weapon. She found it right where Saiyuri said it would be waiting. Stepping into the changing room, she knew that this would most certainly keep his attention on her. She was going to make him look at _her_ heavenly body. Walking back to the pool, she coughed lightly once she was back outside. Hearing that familiar sound, Shikamaru turn around. He had seen Ino in the blue swimsuit she previously wore. He hadn't seen this one before though. It was a one piece, like the other, except it was a lighter shade of blue with a white pattern on it. Clouds. He couldn't look away, especially considering how the clouds were accenting her natural form.

Temari also noticed when _that girl_ came back and the lack of the lazy ninja's attention to herself. Getting ready to serve the ball, she tossed it up in the air, hitting it rather forcefully in an overhand serve. Zooming through the air, it did not go towards the other team as one would assume. Instead the volleyball nailed Shikamaru in the head with it and knocked him to the ground. The next thing he knew, Ino was sitting over him and the wind mistress had stomped off. In the end, Sakura and Rock Lee won because no one else would team up with Kankurou.

**Part 12**

Once Naruto got back to his little ramen getaway on the beach, he found that Jiraiya was waiting for him. His first response was as over the top as it normally was. "Ack! Pervert Sennin!" he exclaimed, pointing.

Since there was no one around, the old man just laughed. "Shouldn't you have this place open already?"

Naruto scowled at him. "I got hung up, OK? And what are you doing here? Spying on the girls again?"

Jiraiya smiled at his new student. "I want to make sure you've got everything taken care of."

The young ninja walked past him into the back. Coming out a minute later, the blond was once again in his happi coat. The Mountain Hermit simply sat there and watched as Naruto hurriedly prepared for lunch. He noticed when Naruto pulled out a small carved figure. It was a many-tailed sleeping fox. After the boy placed it on his side where customers couldn't see it, his curiosity got the better of him. "So what's that?"

"A gift from a friend." was the only answer Jiraiya got.

"So after you're little vacation, think you'll ready to train?" the white haired-fellow asked. "Just make sure you tell your teammate, alright?"

Naruto looked up from his prep table. "I told Sakura and Kakashi already knows, but..."

"Hmm?" Jiraiya prodded. "There is someone else I need to talk to." The lad said reluctantly.

The Sennin raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Ahh, have you found yourself a girlfriend?"

Naruto was about to give a spirited response, but the words died in his throat as he saw a person jogging towards the ramen stand. Jiraiya turned to see a young woman in a grey one piece that was modest and reveling at the same time.

The motion of her moving frame had Naruto mesmerized. His eyes tracked every detail of her beauty. The Mountain Hermit smiled at his charge's reaction to her femininity. _This must be her._ Slowing down as she got closer to the stand, Hinata waved towards her fellow ninja. His jaw was still on the countertop. The older man tapped him on the chin to remind him to close his open maw.

Remembering himself, Naruto greeted her. "Welcome back, Hinata-chan!" As she walked behind the counter, he continued, "Did you go swimming this morning?"

Seeing the boy she liked look up and down her swimsuit clad body made her blush. "Yes. Give me a minute and I'll be ready, Naruto-kun." She said, and hurried off to the back.

When Hinata reappeared, she had dressed in her work clothes, like Naruto had. She blushed a little when she spoke again. "Umm… I got this new suit and wanted to wear it once before we left."

Responding to her unasked question of 'did you like me wearing it?', he replied enthusiastically. "You looked great! You should definitely wear it more often. Then everyone will see how pretty you are." Her blush went from slight all the way to crimson.

Watching Naruto with the white-eyed girl, Jiraiya figured he'd have a little fun. "Yes, that's a good idea. And since Miss Hyuuga is so pretty, she will have many boys wanting to spend time with her."

The show stopping ninja's cheery demeanor dropped away at this, leaving an unpleasant scowl. Hinata looked down and played with her fingers. "Umm… I'd rather not… that is, I don't want to be… popular like Temari."

Naruto's rebuttal was only an echo away. "Yeah, I'm not going to let a bunch of jerks bother Hinata-chan." Getting a rise out of the two lovebirds, Jiraiya began to laugh.

_It's time to leave these two alone to talk. _the white-haired fellow thought. Getting up, his look was serious once more. "I've got to go. Naruto, don't forget what we talked about." And with that the Sennin walked out from the shade of the oceanside ramen stand, into the afternoon sun.

Hinata was worried about what the legendary ninja had just said with his departure. She looked askance at the boy she wanted to be with, without saying a word. Not wanting to prolong her obvious discomfort, he charged headfirst into the conversation he'd put off to this point.

"Jiraiya is going to take me to train." Naruto began, with his head hung low. "He says we have three years before that bastard Orochimaru can take Sasuke away forever. Sakura is going to train with Granny Tsunade. He's our friend and I promised Sakura that we'd get him back. I have to become stronger, so I don't fail again. That's why I'm leaving." He thought he'd feel better once he got it all out and in the open. But telling someone he cared for that he was going to leave, made him feel empty in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.

Wordlessly, Hinata place her delicate and gentle hand on his. His heart filled up when he looked up and saw her smile. She understood what he needed to do, Naruto knew that now. He smiled back to let Hinata know of all the things he couldn't say with words.

**Part 13**

Mr. Kim was in his office when Jiraiya finally found him. The inconspicuous man was working diligently when the owner walked in. "Ah! Jiraiya-sama, you have good timing. These ninja you brought in from Konoha are doing a superb job and I am ready to make you an offer."

Sitting down, the older man looked surprised. "Already? That was quick. Word must have spread more quickly than we thought."

Mr. Kim was looking exceedingly pleased with himself. "Yes, and they all say that the curse is gone now. I am prepared to offer you this much for the entire property, improvements included." The younger man placed a large stack of bills on the table, which but a quick count would be a little over double the Mountain Hermit's asking price.

The white-haired fellow pondered this for a moment. _If the hotel and all are this profitable, maybe I should hold on to it. But Kim has put years into getting his own business and I can't forget about Konoha. The Village needs the money far more than an old man._ Jiraiya stood up and offered Mr. Kim his hand. "Sold!"

The spectacled man smiled as he felt his fortunes change. It was all his now. He was the master of his own destiny at last. With the income the hotel would provide, he could do whatever he wanted. He could even propose to Kirara now, like he had wanted to for so many years. Fate had smiled upon him at long last. But Fate wanted to give him one last scare before his daughters he will eventually have with Kirara, many years from now, will come home with boyfriends. One last hurrah before finding another perfectly normal person to pick on. You see, one thing the locals never figured out was that the place was never cursed. Just Mr. Kim.

From the unnatural placid ocean, a great form arose, shattering the serenity of the day. 'It' appeared to be at least forty feet high and twice as wide. The hard shell it wore was encrusted with the cast offs of the sea. Sunken ship parts were intermixed with the remains of those that had perished in the briny depths of whence it came. Pieces of a kobune were affixed to the shell right along with whale bones and a mast from a larger vessel. And this was just a sample of what was recognizable on this massive form. The creature had felt the presence of it's ancestral enemy, the demon of the Sand. The Demon Oyster of the South had come spoiling for a fight and it wasn't going to be disappointed.

The first of the assembled ninja to show up was Rock Lee carrying Sakura. When the monster had emerged, the resulting twenty foot wave sent her surfing past the high tide line. Reliably, Rock Lee was there to catch her, which left her thankful and embarrassed at the same time.

Before they were able to do anything though, Gaara launched himself into the air, flying right past them. The pair also noticed behind them their comrades had come to investigate the disturbance. All of the ninja present saw Gaara and his 'perfect defense' of sand shoot straight toward the monstrous oyster. The Demon Oyster had other plans. Parting it's massive shells, the creature opened up it's mouth to welcome the prey that had so eagerly sought his doom. Before the Sand ninja could understand what was happening, the oyster clamped down and effectively swallowed him.

Everything was silent again for a minute as the giant sea creature stopped moving. A moment later, it spit out the biggest black pearl any of them had ever seen. Understanding immediately who was inside the sphere, Sakura yelled out, "Rock Lee!"

Leaping into the path of the oncoming ball, the Taijutsu prodigy attempted to catch it. With the help of Temeri's fan and wind control, he was partially successful in that he did alter the course of the ballistic object away from the hotel. But he and the pearl ended up crashing into a nearby storehouse. Without hesitation Sakura hurried to her friend's aid.

It wasn't until Ino attempted to take over the beast that it noticed the other combatants. Her failure to overtake its alien mind caused her to pass out. Then it attempted to take her out by spitting a volleyball sized white pearl at her prone form.

Choji was able to pull Ino out of the way. He was then forced to dodge more pearls that the great oyster spat at all of them. Calling chi to gather in his hand, Kakashi thought to put a quick end to this. Running forward, his hand sounding like an electrode being dragged across a chalkboard, he left fused pieces of sand where the chakra touched the ground. Making contact with the undershell the aberration, his _Chidori_ blasted away salt water soaked bone, wood, and shell. The new opening exposed even more of its durable shell. "Damn it." The Copy Ninja cursed.

Elsewhere on the surface Kiba, Neji, and Tenten didn't seem to be getting anywhere. As they tried to break through the oyster's armor, all they ended up doing was removing more detritus from it's shell. The precise aim from the Jounin hit the monster when it opened it's mouth with their shuriken and kunai. That really ticked it off. And so it spat more pearls with enough force to cleave a normal man in two.

"What's its weak point?" Gai called out to Neji. Relying on Sakura to take care of his other student, all his attention was focused on this fiend. Using the special sight of the Byakugan, Neji saw chakra everywhere in the shell, reinforcing it and all the weak points hidden inside. "Chakra is making the shell extremely hard, but I can't interrupt the flow from outside."

Understanding what her cousin meant, Hinata saw a way. "Shino!" she called out, "Can your insects weaken the chakra in the shell so we can break through?"

The mysterious Aburame nodded. "I will try."

Seeing he might be able to do something soon, Naruto crossed his fingers in front of him and said "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Twenty of his Shadow Clones began to harass the demon.

Meanwhile Sakura was trying to get to Rock Lee who was trapped behind the Gaara Pearl in the storehouse. The sign next to her said wine cellar. "Lee! Can you hear me?"

From the other side she heard, "Sak'ra? Ish dat yoo? Hold um." The pearl then was forcible ejected form the doorway by the fist of the drunken master. It spit open when it landed, reveling an unconscious Gaara of the Sand.

Approaching Lee to see if he was alright, Sakura could tell he was covered in wine and glass from broken bottles. "Hey baby." He said uncharacteristically as he leaned over to kiss her. He also had his hand on her rear. Her fist reacted right away, knocking him in to the wall. "Sakura's goth a nice ashe." Rock Lee mumbled before he passed out.

"Do it now." Shino stated, as he felt his helpers interrupt the flow of charka in his foe. Naruto dashed forward without hesitation. He ran straight for the hole his mentor had made with the intention of making it bigger. The Beast sensed the danger coming from his direction. It reacted by spitting all it could at Naruto. It took every Shadow Clone he made to intercept the flying pearls, but he was able to connect with the _Rasangan_. The impact rocked the oyster up nearly on its end before it came back down where it was.

There was now an entire section of it's soft inner flesh exposed, ready to be attacked. And Kakashi was prepared with another Chidori. The smell of charred seafood enveloped them all. Choji's stomach rumbled and he asked, "Anyone up for oyster tonight?" All those that were still conscious groaned.

**Epilogue**

Reaching up towards the monument of Konoha, the faces of those who have borne the title of 'Fire Shadow', Naruto felt the name of Hokage, ready for him to grasp when he returned to his home. Today was the day for his training journey to begin. Hinata had come by to sneak a glimpse when she thought he wasn't looking earlier and he was sure she was watching him right now. He knew it was hard for her to see him go, but she knew why he felt he had to. Jiraiya was calling him, so he turned and hurried to catch up. Reaching into his pocket, Naruto pulled out a wooden figure where the Sennin wouldn't see. He held it as he left the village, his own way of telling Hinata _I will never forget you and I promise to come back home._

**FIN**


End file.
